(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an mage forming apparatus employed in MFPs (Multi Functional Peripherals) and other devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique of remotely operating the image forming apparatus with a remote terminal connected to the image forming apparatus.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Generally, image forming apparatuses display a user-interface image on an operation panel that is disposed on or in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter, “local operation panel”). In addition, some image forming apparatuses are provided with a remote panel function of additionally displaying a user-interface image on a remote terminal connected to the image forming apparatus. With the remote panel function, the image forming apparatus allows a user to remotely control the image forming apparatus from his desk, by using a PC, for example. This saves the user from the trouble of moving to the image forming apparatus to make user operations.
The remote panel function known in the art allows a remote control of the image forming apparatus with a remote terminal, so that it is not necessary for the user to physically move to the installation site of the image forming apparatus. In principle, the operation panel and the remote terminal are controlled to operate in synchronism. More specifically, the local operation panel of the image forming apparatus and the remote terminal are controlled to hold the exactly same values. Thus, a user operation made on either of the local operation panel and the remote terminal affects both the user-interface images. Consequently, it is not possible that the local operation panel and the remote terminal receive different user operations without affecting the other. This limitation on the operatively does not matter much in the case where the remote panel function is used for maintenance work. However, in the case where the remote panel function is used for job execution, the remote panel function is used more frequently and problems associated with the above limitation are more notable.